Do You Remember?
by Fuko Ibuki
Summary: A quick NaruHina set after the battle with Pein. Not my best work, I admit, but I love NaruHina, so I decided to post it. Please enjoy! Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.


Naruto was walking through the woods near Konoha, heading towards his favorite thinking place, a clearing that he had been going to since he was little. He had no idea why, but he was always drawn to it. As he made his way through the brush, he looked up and caught a glimpse of the starry sky above.

"It's really beautiful out tonight." He said to himself with a sigh. _"If only every night were like this."_ He took another look up, and then continued on.

At the Clearing

"Finally made it!" Naruto exclaimed, taking in his surroundings. Suddenly, a soft noise from the bushes caught his attention. Wondering what it could be, Naruto moved towards the source of the sound. As he got closer, the noise became more distinct. The sound was actually a faint sobbing, barely audible. _"Who could that be?" _Naruto wondered. He was now standing directly over the bush where the crying was coming from. He leaned over and gasped. Crouching behind the bush was Hinata Hyuga. And she was crying.

"H-Hinata? Is that you?" Naruto asked, a little surprised. Hinata jolted, startled, and looked up at Naruto through teary eyes.

"Oh, it's you, Naruto." Hinata said, voice strained. Her cheeks were red and puffy, her lips a rosy pink. Her raven black hair shone in the moonlight. Naruto was surprised that she was here.

"H-how'd you know about this place? I thought I was the only one who came here." Naruto said. A look of sadness washed over Hinata before she replied.

"Y-you really don't remember?" Naruto gave her a confused look. Hinata looked away, obviously disappointed. "Of course you wouldn't. Never mind." A tear slipped from her eyes. Naruto was clueless.

"Wait, what? How do you know this place?" Naruto asked again. Hinata looked back at him. She sighed.

"I know this clearing because… it was the place I first met you." Hinata whispered.

Flashback

Young Naruto was walking through the woods when he came upon a group of boys. They were laughing at something, and he heard someone else crying. He ran over and saw a small girl on the ground, her eyes red, cheeks stained with tears. He quickly realized that the two boys were picking on her. Running over, he tried to stop the two. The boys, knowing it was him, quickly turned on him. A small fight broke out, only to be stopped when the young girl's watcher came to retrieve her. Giving Naruto a scornful look, he dragged her off, despite her obvious protests.

End Flashback

Naruto's eyes glimmered as he remembered. He looked back down at Hinata, who had started crying again. Naruto knelt down beside her.

"I remember now. You were the girl I saw who was being picked on, weren't you?" Hinata slowly nodded. Naruto thought for a second.

"After that day, I told myself that I would be like you. That I would be brave and stand up for those I cared about. Every time I saw you after that, I was too shy to talk to you. My father told me to stay away from you, that you were a monster, but I didn't care. Even if you have the Nine Tailed Fox sealed within you, that doesn't change the way I feel… about you." Hinata said softly. Naruto was shocked.

"H-how do you know about the Nine Tails being sealed inside me?" He asked, clutching his stomach. Hinata looked up at him with her lavender eyes and gave him a weak smile.

"I could see it from the first day at the Ninja Academy. I don't think Neji could, though. His Byakugan is different from mine." She replied.

"Oh." Naruto had forgotten about her clan's trademark Kekkei Genkai. He was curious, though, as to why she didn't seem afraid of him like everyone else, even though she _knew_.

"From then on, I admired you for being so brave and strong. That you could overcome such hardship and teasing, I know I could never have done that." Hinata had a look of idolization on her face as she gazed upon Naruto. Suddenly, her look changed. "Naruto, do you remember your battle with Pein?" She asked in a somber tone. Naruto remembered how she'd confessed her love to him, nearly getting herself killed to protect him. He felt a pang of guilt.

"Why?" A soft whisper sounded from Hinata, breaking the silence. Naruto was confused. "Why do you hurt me? I open my heart and you ignore me. I risk my life for you and the village and you don't even talk to me. Why?" With each of her words, Naruto felt like he was being stabbed. His eyes watered as he saw Hinata crying uncontrollably before him. And it was his fault. The one person who had been his friend despite what he was, the one person who risked their life for him, the _one _person who truly loved him, and had hurt her, He fell to his knees, a tear sliding down his whiskered cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Hinata." Naruto said, choked with tears. Hinata was about to say something more, but Naruto suddenly leaned in and kissed her lips, silencing her. When he pulled back, Hinata was looking at him, confused. He felt a quick pang of guilt, since he knew she probably thought that since he ignored her, that he didn't care about her at all. But she was wrong. He had cared, but he didn't realize it until he saw how much she cared.

"N-Naruto…" Hinata whispered.

"Shh…" Naruto said. "I love you."


End file.
